In some processes, fully assembled absorbent articles are packaged in containers for shipment and distribution to customers. Typically, the absorbent articles are packaged in primary packaging, for example, polybags, which are then placed into secondary packaging such as cardboard containers. The manufacturer may provide printed indicia on either or both of the primary packaging and secondary packaging, depending on which is intended to be the product ultimately purchased by a consumer. The cardboard container may be shipped to a retailer and placed on shelf, then a consumer purchases the container, takes it home, and then opens the container and disposes of it. Alternately, the consumer may purchase the container via e-commerce, for example, online through the internet, and the container is shipped directly to the consumer. In yet another alternative, the retailer may open the container and place the individual polybags of absorbent articles on a shelf for sale, and likely stack them to save space and/or to create a display. After taking the product home, the consumer typically opens the container, if any, and then opens the polybag containing the absorbent articles, removes all or some of the absorbent articles and then places them in yet another container such as a diaper bag or similar container attached or placed proximately to a changing table, from which they are retrieved at the point of use.
In some packaging operations, containers for containing absorbent articles are advanced through a taping apparatus to seal the open end or ends of the container. The taping apparatus may operate to continuously apply tape to the end of the container as the container advances through the taping apparatus. Such taping apparatuses may be configured to tape containers of a predetermined size and orientation. However, polybags of absorbent articles may vary in size as different size absorbent articles and/or different quantities of absorbent articles may be packaged in a polybag. As such, containers for containing absorbent articles may also vary in size. Also, in some processes, containers may be arranged in different orientations in a packaging process. In order to tape containers of different sizes or orientations, separate taping apparatuses configured for predetermined container sizes and orientations may be needed for each container size and orientation. Consequently, taping containers of different sizes and orientations may add cost and complexity to the absorbent article manufacturing process.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus for taping containers of various sizes and orientations.